Until The Bitter End
by Calming Aura
Summary: After losing everything but his spark, Starscream is locked away on the Autobot base with his fate sealed. When he thought that things couldn't get worse... along came a teenager named Miko Nakadai.
1. Chapter 1

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Until the Bitter End

Chapter 1

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Tip-toeing down the long hall, Miko kept an eye out for anyone—_Autobot or her human friends_—to realize that she had disappeared from the couch and to come looking for her. They should have known better, if she could be honest, than to speak so freely about what was locked away in the prison at the end of the hall. Especially with the little Asian girl sitting not too far away, pretending to watch the television special about some lake monster on the discovery channel.

How she had managed to slip away without even Raf knowing was beyond her, but she did it, and she was so close that she could almost feel the danger tickling under her flesh. She was sure that she would have been spotted the moment she stepped through the massive archway and scolded for her actions. However, that wasn't the case and she had made it completely down the hall without so much as a curious noise from the main room—_not that she could hear it now anyway_.

Standing in front of the large doorway, she felt her skin prickle with excitement and the muscles in her hands twitching. She ignored the rational side of her mind—w_hich she nicknamed Jack, because he was always _ruining_ her fun_—and took the time to glance over her shoulder. Upon noticing that no one was following her, not that they had noticed that she was gone with their minds on what was in the room she was about to enter, she leaned over and poked her head through the archway.

Scanning over the dimly lit room, she searched for any traps—_not that she'd find them anyway_—and the glow of crimson that she was sure lurked inside. Ultimately, there was neither of those things and she felt a sense of disappointment. However, she did know that the Autobots wouldn't fib about what was inside and she couldn't stop herself from stepping inside completely. She narrowed her eyes and swept her gaze over the room once more, still finding nothing.

"Hello," she called out childishly, scoffing when a few seconds later there was no reply. She huffed and kicked the air, only to be startled by a sound that echoed off the walls. It sounded like metal scraping off of metal and what had appeared like sparks caught her attention. Blinking, she turned her head and stepped forward, curiously calling out again; "You there?"

Surprised when the sound echoed again, she found her feet moving by themselves—like they normally did—and she was practically racing over to where it had come from. She stumbled a few times but nothing major before coming to an end of her jog. Her sights flickered over the scene that the large repair table had hidden from her; she could feel her body tremble as a disturbed yet excited shiver raced down her spine.

Behind glowing bars sat the talk of the base, his agile frame leaned against the corner of what could only be described as a prison. Thick, glowing cuffs locked his wings straight back and his wrists were placed in the similar, if not the same type but smaller model, as his wings. His lips were turned down into that of an angered frown and eyes dark without the familiar glow that they should have had. However that wasn't what caused her stomach to twist, because that wasn't the worst of the worst.

His armor—she always thought of it as their skin—was slashed, mauled, and scarred. Deep gashes were dark compared to the light silver of his frame, which seemed to have a certain tint to it that reminded her of blood—_she figured it to be _Energon. Over his eyes was the biggest of the marred metal, and she could also see dents the size of Optimus's hands in the thin yet tough winds, despite their position. It was enough to shake the youngster.

However, it wasn't enough to stop her from leaning to the side and removing one of her earrings. She fingered it for a moment before tossing it to the left, the sound of it landing with a tiny thump echoed and so did the sliding noise that followed. She nearly laughed when the seeker tensed, armored feet grinding against the metal floor—_which explained the sound from earlier_—as if to attempt to move back. It was too bad that his wings were already pressed against the wall behind it. However, it was the moment that his expression morphed from angry to terrified that any amusement left her and her brain kicked on.

Not to mention, she had gotten a close look at his optics, or lack of. The teen trembled as a chill rushed through her, and she realized that the prisoner eyes were gone and empty sockets were left behind. A mature side of her that she hid regretted her teasing, which she only did because she was sure that the giant had his eyes closed—or offline, whatever robots did. With her mind racing, she wondered if the Autobots had done this to the seeker. That thought rocked her to her core and she couldn't believe it, but that didn't stop her from whipping around to flee.

However, fate was not on her side. When she had turned and stepped forward, she happened to walk right into the massive foot of the Autobot medic. She fell onto her backside and slapped her hand to her forehead, a light throb echoed in her skull from the somewhat awkward impact. It took her brain a few moments to process what had just happened and her head tilted back, gaze lifting to view the stoic face of the alien. For a second, she thought she had gotten away with the whole thing, since the robot's optics seemed to only view the frightened flier, but soon that powerful gaze had turned to her.

"I thought I'd find you in here."

"Uh, yeah," she replied awkwardly at his icy statement. She lowered her hand from her head and pushed herself up, mindful not to make much noise as to not startle the already paranoid seeker. However, when she had gotten to her feet and spared the flier a glance, she cringed while watching him turn his head every which way, as if he was searching for the voices that were probably echoing through his skull—_helm, processor, whatever it was, Miko didn't know_. She felt her throat tighten at the sight before she choked out a single question: "What happened to him?"

"We not entirely sure," Ratchet answered, tone dark and low and scary to the human at his feet. "It's not like he can tell us either."

Confused, the girl blinked, "Huh?"

"His vocalizer was broken," the medic supplied. "I removed it completely to attempt to repair it but there… isn't much to work with."

"And his eyes?"

"Gone when we found him and the reason he's bound," was the reply. "He nearly ripped Arcee's arm off before attempting to beat Bumblebee's helm in. Leaking energon, blind, and unable to speak yet the seeker still tried to slaughter Autobots. That was just too dangerous around anyone, so we had to cage him."

"Oh," she whispered and allowed herself to turn back to the medic. Her hands suddenly went to her hips and her nose scrunched up childishly. She leaned forward and narrowed her eyes, still looking up at the alien. "Shouldn't you be fixing him or something? I mean, it's what you do—_take a broken dude and make him better_! It can't be that hard to replace all that stuff!"

"We don't have the resources."

"Huh," she blinked and straightened up, realization hitting her. Of course they didn't have the parts and the like. They barely had enough to take care of themselves; they couldn't be using their resources on the enemy. However, she realized as a shiver teased her spine, this only meant one thing for the once proud yet cowardly flier. "He's going… to have to stay like that?"

"Yes," he answered swiftly before turning, motioning for her to leave. "Now, go play those infuriating video games with the other two."

"But-"

"Go. It's not safe in here for you if he happens to escape those binds, with all the unnecessary noise you make!"

"Hey," she pouted and stomped her foot, probably only proving the medic's point. After losing a short staring down, she rocked on her heels before starting a march to the doorway to take her leave. However, she paused midway and attempt to get another glance at the injured Decepticon but the Autobot blocked her view, whose stance let her know that his patience was running thin. With one last pouted glare, she took off out the door and down the long hall to join her friends. Although, the two boys wouldn't be on her mind, only the seeker whose fate was locked in endless darkness and a bitter ending.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

**Author's Note**

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

_Hey there! Thanks for reading this probably odd fanfiction. I'm not entirely sure where I want to go with it yet, but the plot bunny would not stop biting so I kind of went with it. Let me know what you think of it; constructive reviews would be awesome by the wa__y. Just kind of want to improve. In addition, if anyone is interested, I'm currently looking for a beta-reader. Just a thought. _


	2. Chapter 2

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Until the Bitter End

Chapter 2

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

With a racing spark, the seeker pressed his back against the wall fearfully as the suffocated in the darkness that consumed him. He couldn't remember what had happened, why he couldn't see through the emptiness that choked him, and it scared him. He had tried to access the memory file, tried to remember how he'd ended up like this—_in this situation that he hated, that feared_—but there was nothing. Whatever had happened must have corrupted the file, or maybe his processor—_attempting to save him from the state of insanity that he was currently swaying towards_—had locked it away somewhere, too far for his injured and tired form to look.

_However, that wasn't the worst part._

Every sound throbbed through his helm and nearly broke his audios. It confused him, scared him at how loud the footsteps were, how every voice screamed at him with malice. He couldn't turn the volume down; he couldn't protect himself. With his hands bound, he couldn't attempt to stop anything, as if that could do anything to begin with. He wanted to scream, wail, to tell them to stop because he couldn't take the deafening noise any longer. However, he couldn't so much as moan in the agony that he felt.

Between the static that filled his processor and the booming voices around him, he'd picked up a few things that disturbed him. One of these was that he would not be repaired, that he couldn't be, which only meant that he would remain like this. He would decay away in this cell until his final day. There would be no use for him; he was no longer the second in command of the Decepticons—_was he ever, though?_—or see the skies of Earth or even Cybertron. He would spend his days in this dark, suffocating realm until he was spent—_killed by the Autobots or his already sluggish and dying systems shut down for good_.

_He hated it_.

Rage burnt through his aching systems, he would never be of use or obtain his revenge against the mech that caused him so much agony. He would never lead his Decepticon brothers to victory or see the peace of war ending. Never again would he see his beloved trine, he even wondered if they were still alive or if they were concerned about the loss of his link with their bond. He vaguely remembered, through the static, how excited they'd been to bond and form the terrible three. Their creators had set it up and the commander had never regretted it—_no matter how annoying Skywarp could be_. No matter what his actions and words may have hinted, he loved them and they loved him.

However, now he was alone. Now he was as useless as a broken datapad. He almost wanted to laugh bitterly—_if he could_—as he realized, like the previously mentioned object, he had been turned into an overgrown paperweight—s_omething he'd seen while studying the human culture_. He was just sitting here, waiting to be placed on something so that a gust of air couldn't blow it away. His existence was certainly pathetic now and whatever honorable death he could have had was gone. That obnoxious Decepticon leader had been right all those years ago—_he would perish unaccompanied, cowardly, miserable, and pitifully_.

_The irony nearly killed him right there_.

The deafening sound of footsteps broke the seeker out of his woeful thoughts, his head turned quickly in the direction of the noise. Trying to escape, he only managed to scratch—_loudly_—his thrusters against the thick metal floor. He wanted to wail as his processor pounded but only found that he could press his trapped wings to the wall behind him. It thundered through his helm, echoing and piercing every chip and part to his mind. He struggled with himself not to attempt to move, create more clatter in his agony filled realm.

The owners of the footsteps began speaking. He couldn't make out the words, but knew they were shooting off in Cybertronian, but with his throbbing processor understanding was impossible. He wanted to beg, scream, tell them to stop talking, stop yelling. He desired anything to make the uproar end and his silence of static return because that would be far better than what he was going through right now. However, nothing ever turned out wonderfully for the seeker, even after the two had silenced themselves.

Booming of keys being tapped drove through his skull, he flung forward and his helm met his knee joint. Why did Primus hate him so much? Sure, he had turned into a bit of Pit Spawn, but that didn't mean he deserved to be abandoned by the God. Just when he didn't think it could get much worse, that his helm couldn't feel any more agony then what it was currently going through, there were additions to the dreaded noise that echoed through his darkness. He wanted to scream, he needed too. He threw his head back and opened his mouth; his body sending the data that was needed but nothing came out.

_It was torture and certainly not over._

There was a body on him, large and heavy, and it scared him more than he cared to admit. He felt giant hands on his shoulders and his fuzzy processor blared that it was Megatron. Panicked with the thoughts that his Lord had come to complete the situation, Starscream was sure that what had happened to him was the Decepticon Commander's fault, he tried to struggle which only caused more noise and more agony. His panic only furthered when the grip on him tightened and more force was applied to keep him down. His processor pounded as another—l_oud, obnoxious_—voice rang out and then, all went quiet.

Noting how startled—_given that the grip had loosened_—that his attackers were, Starscream took this chance to escape. He lunged forward and his helm connected with another. The room was now in another uproar; he cringed but wasted no time in a pathetic escape. He kicked and squirmed until he felt his frame moving away from them. They tried to grab at him but were discouraged after a few kicks—_he was sure that he got one of them on the helm_—and when he thought he was nearing the door, something happened.

_Sparks and agony was all he felt._

His processor screamed—_because he certainly couldn't_—and his body began to convulse, he felt large yet gracefully hands grab him. There was no escape, only pain as those servos flipped open a panel. He was going to die, they were going to shut him down, and there was nothing he could do. He curled in an attention to get away from those curious fingers and the pure agony that he felt. He wanted to beg them—_don't kill me, help me, _**please**—but no sounds came.

_Then there was nothing._

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

**Author's Note**

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

_Holy crap. I didn't think this would be that well liked. I got reviews and even a message, because their review wouldn't fit in a review post. You don't know how much that made my day. It rivals getting a puppy. Just saying. _

_But seriously, thanks guys! I'll be replying to everything when I'm finished posting this, which was supposed to be up sooner. I just had to fine tune it because of the way it was before. Writing from Starscream's Point of View (although, still third-person, it's more of his views on things) was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be._

_Now he's a question for you guys. Should I ditch writing chapters from Starscream's Point of View and stick with Miko or the Autobots? Or should I continue with "even numbers are Starscream's, odds are Miko's"? It's just something I've been thinking about, thought I'd try it out. _

_In other news, next chapter is almost complete in "Notebook Stage".  
><em>


	3. Chapter 3

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Until the Bitter End

Chapter 3

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

After scanning the Prime for any injuries that the seeker might have caused during his fit, Ratchet turned his attention to the shocked little organic girl and her uncomfortable guardian. The situation could have gone better and probably would have if it hadn't been for them, and he mentally cursed the warrior for not following simple directions. He turned his entire frame to the two and scowled at them, but only the green mech seemed to react since the human's attention was solely on the Decepticon.

"You two shouldn't be in here," he stated in a gruff tone, almost like a father disciplining his children. To Ratchet, that was what the situation truly felt like, especially when both happened to look at him. "You interrupted an important matter and could have cost Optimus his life if Starscream was more able to battle. Would you care to tell me exactly what possessed you to disobey orders?"

"I just wanted to get my earring back," Miko admitted without her normal spunk. Ratchet would never disclose just how much that disturbed him. Honestly, neither would Bulkhead or Optimus Prime. "We were just going to get it before I saw…" The little human turned her head and stared in the direction of the seeker, looking rather embarrassed and a quick scan of her human form confirmed it. "Optimus trying to, uh, mate with Starscream…"

"What," Optimus looked nearly floored, which would have surprised the other two mechs if they hadn't been equally as startled. "Miko… that's not what was happening…"

"Then what was," she asked. "I mean, you were on top of him and… you had these wires. I figure that's how—"

"We were attempting to place in an Energon IV, to keep him alive," Ratchet interrupted the insanity, trying not to look as uncomfortable as everyone else did. There was no way that he was going to sit down and explain to the little organic that their race did not mate, let alone scold her for even thinking that the Prime would lower himself to doing such with a Decepticon. This was all becoming something close to blasphemy, too close for Ratchet's comfort. He added, malice lingering in his tone, "I also wanted to do a better medical scan, and it wasn't like he would just sit there while I did it, Miko. I need someone to hold him down!"

He was a bit surprised when Miko stayed quiet and just nodded, her round eyes still on the Decepticon. The silence that followed was uncomfortable, thanks to the other two mechs that were still unnerved by the little girl's statement, and Ratchet began to feel more aggravated than he was before. He was needed to finish the exams on the seeker and these two were just in the way, not to mention, the human kept asking silly questions of no importance. They needed to go and just as he was about to say that, Bulkhead stepped forward.

"Miko, we should go," he said as he reached down for her. "I don't want your host parents to worry about you or anything, so come on."

"No," she yelped and scooted to the side, narrowing her eyes at the giant. She placed her tiny hands to her petite hips, leaning forward with a small scowling look, which reminded Ratchet vaguely of an annoyed minicon. "I want to find my earring first!"

"Miko…"

"No," Ratchet spoke up harshly. "You can get it in the afternoon, after your day at school. I have things I have to—"

"Is he dead," she asked suddenly, motioning to the seeker with a small look of concern.

"What…?" Ratchet was a bit taken back by the question, and it seemed like the others were concerned about it. Did the annoying child actually care about the flier? More than likely not, he had heard about what she said to Bulkhead and probably didn't want the seeker to die like this. Still, he scowled at her and turned, "Of course not! I have him in a stasis lock, I'm sure that—"

"Stasis lock?"

Bulkhead spoke up before Ratchet could; "It's like a coma… type thing…"

"Oh," she replied and paused for a minute, then turned to Ratchet, "Why didn't you do that in the first place?"

"You little…"

"Bulkhead can explain it on the way home," Optimus interrupted as he ushered the pair out before Ratchet could explode on them.

Waiting until the group was out of the room and the door shut, Ratchet made his way over to the offline seeker. He moved him to an examination table with little struggle, probably due to the sleek frame that flier were created with, and began to hook him up to the computer in the room. He seethed with anger as he did so, even ranting to the jet. After all, there was only so much that he could take from this primitive planet.

"Can you believe that human," he said. "She actually thought that getting close to you was easy! It is as if she's never seen you in battle, or she failed to see what you did when you got away from us! How could Bulkhead even let her drag him in here? How can he not overpower something so small anyway? I—"

He only stopped when there was a loud alert from the computer. Glancing up, he took notice to the words written across the screen, a bit surprised that the system had already caught some type of damage so soon. He frowned as he processed the warnings blaring across the wide screen and glanced down at the seeker. He hadn't expected that and reached over, popping open the flier's side.

"Someone really didn't take much a liking to you, did they," he muttered, regrettably feeling pity for the flier. He quickly typed in a few override codes into the panel and lifted his sights to his patient's face. Scarred and no longer holding the former glory that always seemed to follow him, Ratchet flinched slightly, "It's a wonder how you're even functioning…"

He abandoned the frame and moved to the system, typing in a few things before turning back to the patient. With quick work, he hooked up an energon drip and moved to exit the room. He didn't need to be here for the scans, he could read over the feedback after speaking with Optimus. What he did need was to know the plans for the broken Decepticon, and only the Prime could provide them. He just needed to know if execution was an option or not—because it just seemed too sadistic to keep the seeker alive like this.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

**Author's Note**

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

_Hey there, guys. I know its been a long time, too long if I may admit. As my profile stated, I got a bit lazy, but also a little busy. There was school for a while, then I kind of got conned into getting a summer job that had taken up a lot of my time. When I was working, I regrettably joined the ranks of couch potatoes everywhere, so this just sat on my computer. Then this morning, I was just going through my computer and found this chapter just sitting there. I smiled when I remembered it and began proofreading for the laughs of it. This got the juices flowing again and I decided to post. _

_Imagine my shock when I logged it to find all those reviews and that the site got a makeover when I wasn't looking. So you're going to have to be patient with me while I figure out this new system that isn't too different from the old one, just with more crap that I'll more than likely never use. Actually, now that I'm thinking about, I'm not even sure if anyone is still interested in this fic. _

_Doesn't matter because I'm still going to update. Also, the next chapter is going to be a bit long if the planning goes right. We finally get to see what the Decepticons are currently up to, but sadly still won't know exactly what happened to Starscream—not yet anyway. There will also be more Miko in trouble with both the humans and the Autobots, possibly even the Decepticons! Possibly talks of execution as well. Oh, and a special guest appearance at the end! Everything will finally be in motion._


	4. Chapter 4

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Until the Bitter End  
>Chapter 4<p>

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The lights above flickered as they always did at this late hour as Optimus stood at the control center with a small frown set to his lips. The entire situation was not something that he had completely thought out or even imagined would happen. There had been some backlash from the younger bots about having the seeker on base, even in his current state, but the Prime had reassured him that everything would be okay and the flier would be unable to cause much trouble at all. What had happened back there, moments ago, was a clear reminder that not only did they not have the correct detainment centers but they were not ready for the situation all together.

He could not chase the frightened and startled look on young Miko's face when she'd seen himself and Ratchet attempting to place the wounded seeker into stasis. Fear in her eyes and lips parted in a gasp, the words that she screamed at him. She had shouted for him to stop, that he was hurting the helpless Decepticon, and other things that were lost when she switched languages to her native one. It had been enough to startle him, and the flier got away. Her attitude didn't change, she'd tried to rush to him and probably would have if it hadn't been for Bulkhead and Ratchet's quick thinking. He wasn't sure what would have happened if they hadn't and he really didn't want to think about it.

Idly, he reached up and placed his digits over the fresh repair that Ratchet performed to his cheek, where the seeker had managed to slice him with one of his talons during the struggle. It didn't hurt, he noted, and would heal flawlessly, but it was still a reminder. That even blinded and possibly deactivating, the seeker was dangerous beyond anything that they'd expected or at least that Optimus expected. He couldn't help but feel a sudden guilt and he couldn't figure out just way, but it was answered the moment that footsteps echoed from the corridor to his side.

He didn't bother to turn to see just who it was because there was only the three of them, and there was no way that it could have been Starscream. He kept his optics focused on the various symbols on the screen in front of him instead, especially when Ratchet didn't say anything upon stopping next to him. The silence was enough to alert him just what was on his oldest friend's mind; the patient, as it normally was, and the bleak future for him. He tried to keep his field from mingling with Ratchet's as he didn't want to feel the distress that he knew was there or the truth of the matter that he knew that he wanted to speak to him about.

The silence stretched on for a few more moments until Ratchet broke, "Optimus," he called to him in desperation, "I need to know what I am supposed to do... what you need me to do."

He didn't reply, which didn't sit well with the old medic.

"Optimus."

_'No, Ratchet,' _he thought, '_don't do this to me_.'

"Answer me," he demanded, voice growing from desperation to frustrating.

_'Please. Ratchet, no. I can't.' _

"Orion!"

_'Fine!'_

"What are our options," he asked so suddenly that it seemed to startle his frustrated friend.

"I-we-he," Ratchet stopped and frowned deeply. "We don't have the resources to repair the damage. We can't even give him his sight back, maybe not even his vocal processor. He won't be able to tell us anything, and as a flier..."

"You're concerned of his fuel intakes." Of course. Ratchet had to be concerned about that. With just the four of them, they barely made it by on the energon that they managed to collect in between battles and scouting missions. With the seeker here and barely fueling, they were scraping at the bottom of their reserves and if they kept him any longer, rations would be even smaller than they already were. Both of the mechs knew that, even if the younger bots weren't entirely sure right now but would sooner or later when they would have to set limits. "We could use him to find the mines. Maybe secure one or two to use."

"He won't be able to speak, Optimus," Ratchet replied swiftly, voice almost trembling for reasons Optimus didn't quite know. He had ideas but no proof. "If he can't speak, then he won't be able to give us the locations. Without his optical sensors, he couldn't even take us there and I doubt that he could write it out for us."

Optimus felt like a fool. Of course, he had thought such before but he never would admit to himself that the thought was an actual fact. Starscream was useless to them in this state and there was no way to repair him. They didn't have the same resources and tools that the Decepticons had, and there was very little they could do to bring the seeker back to his former self. Not only that but, with the way the medic spoke and looked at him, Starscream was most likely in a large amount of agony and suffering like no one deserved.

"We are just prolonging the inevitable truth," the medic added when the Commander did not reply. A dark servo came to rest on a wide red shoulder, Ratchet gave the Prime a reassuring squeeze and they shared a glance. "You need to make the choice, Optimus, and I must apologize for placing this burden on your shoulders."

His lips formed a thin line and he dimmed his optics, "I can't make that decision right now," he replied, allowing his shoulders to slack under his friend's touch.

"That's fine," was the surprising reply. "As long as you need, I will try what I can until then to keep him comfortable."

"Thank you."

Ratchet made a noise of acknowledgment but that was all. The pair then fell into a silence. It wasn't uncomfortable and awkward as it would have been with a different face, but content with each other as they've always been. The medic moved next to the Prime, who moved over and allowed him to take control over their computer system. Their shoulders rested together and fields merged and mingled together, relaxing their unsettled nerves.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Bulkhead pulled up to the curve outside of his charge's host home and parked along the sidewalk. He was unsettled by the lack of noise in his cab, where Miko sat in the passenger seat with her head against his window. There was something awkward and different about the youth, who hadn't even so much as spoke a word or turned on the radio. Matter of fact, she had turned it off when he activated it to play her favorite band. Even now, the little girl didn't even seem to ignore or care that they'd arrived. She just stayed in her seat and stared, frowning with a blank look in her eyes.

He flashed the lights in his cab, but didn't seem to disturb the youth. "Miko," he called out, voice booming through his stereo speakers, "you okay?"

"Mhm," she said, then leaned back against the seat. She wasn't going into the house, that much was sure, but as she turned her sights to the dashboard she let her shoulders fall ever so slightly. Her lips twitched down into a deep frown, then added, "Bulkhead, do you think he'll be okay?"

"Who?" He had a feeling he knew what she was talking about, but a part of him didn't want to admit it. He didn't want to think his crazy but fun and innocent Miko would even have an inkling of feelings for a Decepticon.

"Starscream," she answered, going as far as puffing out her cheeks. "Ratchet is going to repair him, right?"

Bulkhead felt his tanks turn at the thought of Ratchet slaving away to save a Decepticon. It certainly wouldn't have been the first time, since there were times long ago when the medic would be knelt down over a downed enemy and attempting to save their spark. However, times were different now and things like that just felt more wrong than ever, probably even to Ratchet. Not to mention, this was Starscream. The seeker had caused a lot of trouble in the past and seemed to only cause more as time went on, even now in the state that he was in.

"Bulkhead...?"

"Yeah, Ratchet will try his best," he finally answered.

Miko perked up visibly, leaning forward, "you think he'll join the Autobots?"

"uh," he stuttered at the very thought. Could they even accept him after everything that had been done? Bulkhead wasn't so sure. Without even counting the number of Autobots he'd killed, the seeker was a traitor and could never be fully trusted. Even if it was possible that he could be repaired, that is. He surprisingly flinched though when he noticed how Miko's change flipped back to the less than cheerful display from before. He would have frowned but in this form all he could do was flash the neon lights on the dash. "I mean, I'm sure it could happen. If he agrees since we can't really force him to join."

"So we'll need to convince him," she piped up, a hopeful yet mischievous look in her big brown eyes. Before Bulkhead could even say a word, the girl had turned in her seat and opened his door. She bounced out of the passenger side and then twisted around, half leaning into his vehicle mode. She gave the brightest smile he'd seen on her face since the Starscream incident as she added, "Don't worry, Bulk, I think I know what we've gotta do."

"Wh—Miko!"

She had back stepped and closed the door, taking a few steps towards the house. "Oh," she piped up and turned back around, cupping one hand around her mouth and using the free one to wave. "See you in the morning!" Then she was back to racing up the sidewalk, leaving a confused Bulkhead behind.

"Scrap," he groaned, once his processor caught up with the situation and she was inside the home, "this isn't going to end well..."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Wrapping his talons around the silver and purple helm, Megatron roared angrily and lifted the drone off the ground. The metal groaned under his intense grip and the underling clawed desperately at the warlord's wrist, a static filled cry emitted from a hoarse vocal processor. At any other time, Megatron would have found great joy in the position but his rage was too strong and with a twitch of his hand he crushed the vehicon's head. Sparks flew and the struggle and cries stopped. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he tossed the corpse effortlessly across the control room. The body hit the floor and skidded, sending sparks flying and the smell of processed energon through the air, until it hit the wall with a sickening crunch.

He turned his tainted purple optics from the remains to the crew that had gathered around the outline of the room. Most of them flinched back when they noticed his enraged glance, and even the ever silent Soundwave seemed to watch his beloved master with uncertainty. It didn't matter to Megatron in the slightly and he continued to loom over them, scanning the faces that surrounded him. He then wasted no time in baring his pointed teeth in a dark snarl and lifting his helm up high, a demand for respect.

"Well," he snapped at them, "are any one of you going to answer my question properly, or would you like to join your brethren in Well of Sparks?"

One brave drone stepped forward from the pack, helm held lower in respect and fear. "We searched the area of the last signal we picked up, sir, but we found nothing," he said, voice trembling in anxiety of deactivation.

There was another roar of anger and his servo shot out. Silver talons wrapped around the throat of the speaker and Megatron pulled him closer to his frame. He towered over the smaller figure and went as far as spinning them around. He slammed the drone against the wall and held him there, snarling and growling as the Vehicon shook and clawed at him to be released. It didn't work and soon the warlord's face was so close to the drone's that all he could see was the dark energon tainted optics of his commander.

"How do you lose a wounded seeker," he questioned with rumble to his voice that caused him to shake even more. The drone tried to answer but his vocal processor was pinched by his master's iron grip, and he just struggled to even keep his optics activated through the crushing pain. "You cannot even return a simple corpse to me, if that should be the case! Worthless!" He twisted around and tossed the drone to the ground, where he crumbled in a pile of himself. They locked gazes as the warlord's optics flared. "Answer me that!"

"I-I don't know, Ma-master," he whimpered and attempted to stand, only to be kicked back down.

The sound of transformation echoed and the heating of the warlord's cannon. The drone looked up into the end of it, visor brightening at the sight of the glowing mouth of the blaster. "Wrong answer," he snarled before firing. There was almost a delighted gleam in Megatron's optics as processed energon splattered across his frame. He turned his burning gaze to the side, locking onto the frightened and startled group. "Find that traitor," he snapped, and whipped his cannon up to point it at them. He used his other servo to point at the headless corpse, "or you will join your brother!"

The soldiers scattered quickly and exited to save their own metal hide. The fliers quickly taking to the top decks to take flight, taking to searching the skies while others attempted to find either way through the ground bridge to search through by ground. Even Soundwave, still silent, turned back to the ship's controls and began to shuffle through data that had been gathered. Megatron found it rather amusing to see how his army had reacted, but then he was remained just what they were searching for.

He scoffed and stormed to one of he large windows. He stopped and stared out at the clouds that they passed by with ease, watching the fliers twist and turn as they zipped by to follow his orders. He used the reflection of the window he glance at Soundwave, who seemed to be working restlessly at his own task. He could, though, feel the officer's optics on him and almost hear the turning gears inside his processor. Soon he flared his magnetic field to warn the other Decepticon not to even think of using his telepathic abilities on him. And there was no surprise when he obeyed and turned his full attention to his work.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

In Earth's early hours, around three or four in the morning, when Ratchet finally made his way back to Starscream's side. When the doors parted, he had just walked inside and over to the wounded seeker. He scanned over him with his optics and frowned, finding it eerie and unwelcoming how still and fragile the flier looked. However, he'd expected that because that was the way he left him hours ago. What he didn't expect was the Autobot Commander standing at the control panel for his scanners and the Prime's optics scanning over the various symbols that were written across the large screen.

He crossed the short distance from his position and to Optimus' side. He frowned and revved his engine to catch the Prime's attention, which it did and they shared a glance at one another. Although, their gazes soon broke; Optimus had turned his optics back to screen while Ratchet did the same. There was a moment of silence as Ratchet glanced over the brightly lit screen, optics linger over crimson symbols before moving to the darker ones, then he felt his commander shift next to him.

"Megatron, what have you done?"

Ratchet turned his gaze to the Prime, "Optimus," he inquired.

"I haven't seen readings like this since Cybertron," he replied absently, focusing on various symbols that told damage to systems that may be unrepairable.

"At least there I could repair his injuries," Ratchet muttered, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice. He didn't want to be reminded of how different this planet was, and certainly how many sparks had been lost and would be thanks to their position on this planet.

"Hmm..." He stepped back and turned, optics scanning over the battered seeker and dimming in dismay. He was uncomfortable; stuck between easing Ratchet's angst and a tough decision that had been bothering him since the seeker arrived. "Repair what you can and we'll move him back to the cell. Make sure he is comfortable before bringing him out of stasis."

"Of course," the medic responded, watching as Optimus tore his gaze away from the seeker and exited the room. He exhaled heavily through his vents and turned his full attention back to the screen, slowly reading over and crosschecking the information. It would take awhile to repair most of these, given they could find the material needed for it, and he began to memorize every symbol and word. His frown deepened and his digits curled into a fist, voice almost trembling, "all this and we'll probably deactivate you anyway..."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The screen in the control room lit up and Soundwave turned his helm, hidden optics turning to the warlord and focusing on his stiff frame. Megatron turned from the window he'd been staring out of and approached the officer's side with long and powerful strides. He glanced over the screen and a smirk came to his scarred lips, pointed teeth visible and the light above glaring off of them. He reached past the silent mech and pressed a few keys with a swift movement, magnetic field spiking with excitement and amusement.

In the levels below them, the entrance to the landing bay dropped down. A few fliers who had taken to hanging around there to avoid the wrath of their master were taken by surprise when a blue Cybertronian jet roared through the access point. It hovered there for some time, startling the poor drones enough to activate their weapons and take aim only to be shot down by another jet that seemed to appear out of thin air. Both hovered for a moment, then the last flier disappeared again.

The control room was thrown for a loop when a jet appeared where there hadn't been one moments before. It transformed with ease and took the shape of a slender purple and black mech, with glowing red optics. He glanced over the room before meeting the intense gaze of the Decepticon Lord, but before anything could be said, the seeker approached him and knelt down. He bowed and offlined his optics, just as the doors to the room opened and in stepped another flier—blue in color, with red strips on his azure wings.

"Lord Megatron," the standing flier stepped forward and bowed down on his knees, matching the position that the purple seeker had taken. "You called...?"

"Skywarp, Thundercracker," Megatron smirked at them, "how nice of you to answer my calls. I believe we have much to talk about."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

**Author's Note**

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

_First off, I would like to apologize for the wait on this chapter. I had sent it away, because I finally thought I found a beta reader, but they never got back to me. This is also an apology for any mistakes because a quick look over later, I'm sure I missed a lot of mistakes. I'm still looking for someone who might be interested in beta reading upcoming chapters, so if you are interested, just drop me a PM and we'll discuss it. _

_Second, this chapter was supposed to be even longer than it is right now but I felt it was too broken up as it was, so the other 'part' will be the beginning of the next chapter. I'm hoping that I can start updating more regularly once the holidays are over and done, and my family is finished stalking me. So let's cross our fingers._

_Third, thank you all for the repeated support of this fic. Someday, I'll work up the courage to reply to each and every single one of you. I promise! Until next time, enjoy the chapter!_


End file.
